Jabuticaba And Its Antioxidant Prowess

Overview

Unless you are Brazilian or have visited Brazil, you have probably never heard about the jabuticaba tree, with its many dark, perfectly round berries sprouting straight from the trunk. 

Indeed, generations upon generations of Brazilians have relished in the sweet and tangy taste of jabuticaba, without ever knowing the full extent of all its health benefits. 

However, recent studies have shed light on a plethora of bioactive compounds found in the berry’s peel, pulp, and seeds, rendering it the new “superfood” on the block. It is packed full of vitamins and minerals, but where it really shines is in its antioxidant capacity, which lends jabuticaba its antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and even anti-cancer effects.¹ 

So what is all about this new “superfood”? Read on to find out!

The jabuticaba berry

Also known as “the Brazilian grape tree”, the jabuticaba (Plinia cauliflora) belongs to the Myrtaceae family and is commonly found in the Southeast and South regions of Brazil, where the rich soils and subtropical climate allow the development of this beloved berry.

The etymology of the word jabuticaba

Its peculiar name comes from the indigenous Tupi Guarani language: jabuti (tortoise) + kaba (fat), probably due to the resemblance of the whitish pulp to tortoise fat. 

Uses of jabuticaba berry and its shelf life

Jabuticaba is very popular in Brazil, being consumed primarily fresh from the tree, but also as jams, jellies, juices, liqueurs, wines, and even added to drinks such as caipirinha - a famous Brazilian cocktail made of cachaça (a spirit fermented from sugarcane juice). 

Unfortunately, jabuticabas are very perishable and start to ferment only 3 or 4 days after harvest; thus, you’re more likely to find the processed versions of the fruit outside of producing countries.

The nutritional value of jabuticaba

Like many fresh fruits, jabuticabas are a good source of carbohydrates, dietary fibre, minerals, amino acids and vitamins. 

They are especially rich in minerals such as iron, containing up to 6 mg per 100 g of fresh fruit, which is higher than other better-known iron-rich foods, such as cabbage (0.5 mg per 100 g) and baked beans (1.5 mg per 100 g).² 

They also contain significant levels of copper and manganese, with 100 g of the fruit contributing to around a fifth of the daily requirements of these minerals. Jabuticaba also contains good amounts of vitamins C and, to a lesser extent, vitamins A, B1, B2, and B3. 

However, the real appeal of jabuticaba as a superfood is its impressive content of anthocyanins (up to 3222 mg per 100 g) and other polyphenols, potent antioxidants with well-known contributions in preventing disease and ageing. But what are antioxidants?

What are antioxidants?

Imagine your body as a bustling factory, full of machines and equipment working 24/7 to keep you alive. As time passes, these machines are likely to show issues: sparks flying around, puddles of oil and grease leaking out, and jets of pressurised steam escaping from the cracks. 

These problems, which are like free radicals, are hazards to the factory’s workers (your cells) and can compromise the entire structure if left unchecked - this is called oxidative damage. Antioxidants act as the maintenance team around the factory: whenever there’s a problem, they rush in to neutralise the issue before it grows into something worse. 

With a healthy diet and habits, we can supply our factories with many diligent maintenance workers who keep everything in good condition.

Free radicals are produced by our natural metabolism, however, their levels can increase with other environmental factors, such as diet, pollution, and exposure to UV radiation. Over time, the cumulative effects of free radicals result in oxidative stress, which can damage cells and cause dysfunction. 

Antioxidants, on the other hand, are molecules stable enough to donate electrons to free radicals, stopping their rampaging and rendering them harmless. This super-power can delay or stop oxidative damage in the cell, thus preventing diseases and negative effects associated with ageing.³

Many different conditions have been strongly associated with oxidative stress, including:

• Inflammatory dysfunctions, such as inflammatory bowel disease and rheumatoid arthritis
• Cardiovascular diseases, such as atherosclerosis and hypertension
• Neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease
• Metabolic dysfunctions, such as diabetes and obesity
• Cancer

Therefore, the regular ingestion of antioxidants in our diet could help prevent many of these conditions and lead us to a healthier life.

Some of the antioxidants commonly found in our diet are: 

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin E
• Copper
• Zinc
• Selenium
• Phytochemicals (such as anthocyanins and polyphenols)

Overall, these antioxidants are most abundant in plants, and indeed plant-based foods generally contain higher levels of antioxidants, especially berries, herbs, spices and drinks like green tea and coffee.⁴

Several phytochemicals fall into the category of polyphenols, which includes pigments such as anthocyanins, flavonoids, phenolic acids and derivatives among many others - and it's exactly in this category that the nutritional content of jabuticaba stands out from other superfoods.

Antioxidants in jabuticaba berries

If you ever eat a jabuticaba berry, you’ll notice a few things: the shiny, dark-purple almost black peel, which gives in as you bite with a satisfying ‘pop’ to reveal the sweet and tangy pinkish-white pulp, where a few small seeds are tucked in. 

Each of these three fractions - the peel, pulp, and seeds - has different antioxidant content, with most of it concentrated in the peel and seeds; therefore, you would benefit the most from eating the whole fruit or eating processed foods or supplements that include all three fractions. 

Antioxidants found in the peel

The peel contains a very high content of anthocyanins, which is the most abundant polyphenol in jabuticaba and gives its distinctive colour, and flavonols, a class of flavonoids with potent antioxidant capacities.¹ 

Ellagitannins and gallotannins are abundant in the peel and seeds, and also the pulp to a lesser extent, which contribute to a slight astringent taste, and have shown to be excellent antioxidants. 

Antioxidants found in the seeds

The seeds contain high levels of gallic acid, a well-known antioxidant compound previously found to be the primary antioxidative agent responsible for anti-free radicals and anti-tumour properties observed in many different plant extracts.⁵

In total, a whooping 106 different phenolic compounds have been identified in the different fractions of the jabuticaba berry, including its very own jaboticabin, a novel phenolic molecule first isolated from jabuticaba that has shown pronounced anti-inflammatory activity in cells exposed to cigarette smoke extract.^1,6 

In addition to polyphenols, jabuticaba is also rich in vitamins such as B1, B2, B3, vitamin A, and vitamin C - the latter two with well-documented antioxidant capacity.

Studies proving jabuticaba berry benefits

The antioxidant prowess of jabuticaba translates into many biological effects reported for both in vitro (using cultured mammalian cells) and in vivo (using animal models such as mice, rats, and rabbits) studies, including:²

• Anti-tumour activity
• Anti-inflammatory activity
• High blood pressure
• Improvement of lipid panel, including increasing of ‘good’ cholesterol (HDL) and decrease of ‘bad’ cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides
• Modulation of body composition
• Liver protection effects
• Decreased insulin resistance
• Decreased blood sugar levels
• Neuronal effects, such as antidepressant-like activity and learning and memory improvement
• Wound healing effects

Study evidence showing jabuticaba berry benefits

Compared to studies using in vitro and in vivo models, there have been fewer clinical trials completed in humans which already present promising results. 

For instance, the consumption of jabuticaba peel powder by healthy humans led to increased antioxidant activity in the plasma, and decreased insulin levels 4 hours after the test meal. In addition, the ingestion of jabuticaba juice was associated with decreased serum glucose levels in a study with 23 healthy adults.² 

Additionally, studies conducted on football players showed that jabuticaba’s peel extract was successful in reducing muscle damage and increasing antioxidant capacity.² 

FAQs

What are the health benefits of jabuticaba?

Jabuticaba has been shown to have antitumor, anti-inflammatory, and anti-hypertensive effects, as well as contributed to decreased insulin resistance and blood sugar levels, and improved cholesterol and fat levels in the blood.

Where can I find jabuticaba?

Jabuticaba in natura is highly perishable and is commonly found in Brazil, its major producer, with minor production in Argentina, Paraguay and Hawaii. Jabuticaba-based products, such as jams, jellies, vinegar, wines, and liqueurs, as well as components of diet supplements and functional ingredients, can be found worldwide.

How can I add jabuticaba to my diet?

The raw berries are a popular snack in Brazil, consumed mostly during the harvest season (August to November). Artisanal and processed jabuticaba-based products are available year-round and can be consumed as you prefer. 

For instance, you can have your morning toast with jabuticaba jam, enjoy a glass of jabuticaba wine or juice with or after your meal, indulge in a tart filled with jabuticaba jelly, or add jabuticaba peel powder or extract to your daily smoothie. 

Summary

Jabuticaba is a popular berry native to Brazil, which contains high levels of antioxidant molecules, such as vitamins A and C, and, most importantly, impressive levels of polyphenols such as anthocyanins and tannins. 

The jabuticaba berry has antioxidative, biological, anti-tumour, anti-inflammatory and anti-hypertensive properties, and has been shown to improve glucose and lipid metabolism. However, most of the antioxidants responsible for these desirable effects are present in the jabuticaba peel, which is not too palatable. 

Another limitation to the widespread consumption of jabuticaba is its short shelf-life, which can prevent the commercialisation of the fruit in natura outside of Brazil and other producing countries. 

Therefore, global consumers would benefit most from the currently expanding production of jabuticaba-based products including juices, jams, vinegars and wines, as well as functional ingredients and dietary supplements made from the peel and seeds.